Eating 1200 (or fewer) Calories But Can’t Lose Weight? Here’s Why…

This is probably one of the most perplexing situations people experience when trying to lose weight.

They are eating very few calories, less than 1200 in many cases, and yet they just can’t lose weight. In some instances they actually gain weight.

Skeptics will say that they aren’t counting their calories right and that they are eating more than they say. But while that does happen, more times than not they are eating what they say they are (plus or minus a few calories).

So how is it possible to eat so little and not lose any weight?

Your Metabolism Isn’t Static

Many people incorrectly assume that if they burn 2,000 calories per day that eating 1000 calories per day will equate to 2lbs per week lost.

That looks right on paper, but that’s not what happens in the real world. In the real world your metabolism adapts to lower calories. This is completely normal and a necessary part of your survival.

So when you cut calories to 1,000/day (calories in), the amount of calories you burn (calories out) also decreases. This narrows the deficit you’re in, and given enough time, will eliminate it all together.

Lowering Calories Affects Activity Levels

This activity has a huge impact on your daily energy expenditure, many times burning more calories than your dedicated exercise session.

And what happens when you lower your calories? You subconsciously end up moving your body less. And that too impacts your metabolism and results in fewer calories burned.

You Become Extremely Efficient With the Calories You Do Eat

When you eat fewer calories your body adapts. But how does it actually do that?

It down-regulates metabolic hormones, which is just a fancy way of saying that your body becomes very efficient using the few calories you are eating.

In the past you might have burned through 100 calories like it was nothing. But when you under eat, your body uses those 100 calories very efficiently. It knows it’s on a tight budget so it adjusts itself to make the most of the calories it’s getting.

So what happens when you eat 1,000 calories per day and then you all of a sudden overeat? Well it’s still using calories very efficiently, so the sudden burst of extra energy (food) gets stored more easily.

This happens more frequently than you might think. It’s not hard to blow through a 1,000 calorie daily budget. Go out to eat for lunch and many times you’ve racked up more than half your calorie budget in one meal.

The Solution?

Stop viewing calories as your enemy. Eat to support the active lifestyle you’re trying to create. And have a little patience.

Rarely do I have to bring clients down to 1200 calories. The ones who are eating there have very specific physique goals and started off eating much more.

Someone who’s currently eating 1200 calories per day is likely 120lbs and has gone from 1800 calories to start, all the way down to where they currently are. This slow transition in food reduction can take up to a year to complete.

So instead of setting your calories so you can get that mythical 1-2lbs per week, eat at sustainable levels that are supportive to your physical activity demands, and be patient while you monitor your body’s feedback.

If things are moving in the right direction, however slow that might be, leave things alone. Emphasize the trend over pace.

Get the repetitions in with these new healthy behaviors so they can become habits. Because once those habits are in place, the adjustment process is much easier to do.

79 Comments

Tony Schober

Hey Everyone,

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Finally someone has explained this to me in a way that makes sense. It’s still hard to wrap my head around…probably because I’ve been trained as you say to treat food/calories as the enemy. I don’t do that consciously of course but it definitely happens.

Glad the explanation helped you out, Gigi. From my experience most people do treat calories as the enemy, even if just subconsciously. The fewer of them the better, right? At least that’s the common thinking.

Your calculator says I should eat 1051 calories to lose weight. Do you think that is safe? I have been eating about 1200 and exercise fairly hard 4 to 5 times a week but only seem to be maintaining. I am 42 5.2 and about 138 pounds

Hi Kat, double check the numbers you input. It should never be that low. Common mistakes are entering height as feet+inches instead of inches only. And make sure you’re using the proper measurement system (kg, lb, cm or inches).

Hi Helena, I would first ask how you settled on 1200 calories. Very rarely does a calorie calculator give you a number that low unless you’re imputing unrealistic weekly weight loss numbers (2+lbs/week).

I like to see people eating slowly, mindfully, and to 80% full while they work on being consistent with their eating and exercise. Once those habits are in place you can adjust food quantity much more effectively.

If you want to count calories I would suggest just using it as a tool and not something to become dependent on. You can start by bumping your calories up by 200/week and assess over a few weeks to see what your body’s feedback is.

Hi Tony.
In January, I weighed 184. I am 5’5. I’m a female. I began working out 6 days a week (45 mins-1 hour of Lifting and moderate cardio) and essentially eating intuitively. Since then, I lost 32 lbs in a little less than six months. But recently, I started to plateau. I now weigh 152 lbs. My goal is to get to about 135 lbs. I realize that while eating intuitively, I don’t think that I was eating enough calories, I am estimating I was eating about 1300-1500 range. Recently, I have started to count my macronutrients and have upped my calories to 1800 calories. I am just nervous for the repercussions if there will be any. Whenever I calculate my TDEE, it usually puts me above 2,200, so 1800 sounds okay to me, but I just don’t know all that much about the subject. I just wanted some feedback, this is something that makes me nervous but to continue to lose fat/while maintaining muscle I know I have to take myself out of my comfort zone.

Hi Erin, I’m not sure you’re undereating, especially since you lost 32lbs eating that way. Usually what will work going forward is what worked to get you here, with slight modifications (lower calories, more activity, etc) – assuming you didn’t suddenly cut your calories when you plateaued.

Also, you’ve been losing weight faster than 1lb/week. At your current weight, that is going to slow way down. If you’re losing .5-1lb every 1-2 weeks you’re doing great.

I am currently 44kg and am on a very low cal diet 800-1000 calories. I know that I should raise because that is not healthy, but I don’t want to gain a ton of weight! My GW is 44-49kg…what is the best way for me to start increasing? Should I just jump to 1200 all at once then slowly increase from there? I have heard that it could take 2500+ cal to heal metabolism…what should I do?

Hi L, so if I understand correctly, you’re already at your goal weight. If that’s the case then I would definitely start the “reverse dieting” process. All that means is you slowly increase your food intake over time.

If you choose to use the calorie counting route to do it then I would increase calories by 50-100 a week at a time so long as body composition changes remain favorable.

As you go into the process make sure you differentiate between weight and fat. Any kind of food increase has the potential to add weight, but that doesn’t mean you added fat. Use an all-inclusive progress assessment that includes weight, tape measurements, strength, energy, health, confidence, body image, and mirror.

I have tried everything I went from eating 6 700 carbs a day and over 4000 calories down to 75 carbs and sometimes under 2000 calories but rarely over that and now I’m still gaining and I barely eat it just must be impossible for me I work out 4 times a week bit just won’t work

Hi George, losing on 4000 calories is going to be very hard unless you train all day. 2000 calories would probably be closer for you, but the only way to really know is to set your calories and monitor feedback.

For example, start at 2400 for a couple of weeks. If no progress cut 100 or so calories and repeat the process until your weight is trending down. Once that happens don’t change a thing.

Yes, I am right around my goal weight, I wouldn’t mind gaining 5 pounds…but would prefer to gain it in muscle and not so much adipose tissue!
If I were not to count calories, but other way would I determine how much I should be eating?
Thank you

If you’re consistently eating 2,000 calories/day while also being consistent with a baseline level of exercise AND you’ve gained weight week to week for at least 3 weeks, then you’re eating too much relative to your activity levels. There’s no way around it. You’ll either have to increase your activity, decrease your food intake, or a combination of both.

I have male clients that need less than 2,000 calories to lose weight. On the rare occasion they have to come all the way down to 1600, but at that point they are already very lean and we’re just putting the “finishing touches” on.

If you are 6plbs over weiget, from the result of years of restricting and binging, where do.you suggesthe I start. I haven’t calorie counted in over a year, but gained back the 30lbs I lost last yr. I’m obviously eating way to much. I tend to rebel, but have a really difficult time livibg in the middle of the diet/binge cycle. I tend to feel more secure when counting calories (usually set to lose 1lb a week), but eventually binge.

Hi Carrie, many times counting calories gives us a false sense of security and moves us away from self-validating our progress and food intake. However, it can be a useful tool in many situations.

I think you’d be better served by implementing progressive small behavioral changes. For example, add in a serving of veggies with your current dinner. This creates a natural caloric restriction effect and is a manageable behavior change.

ive tried everything – shakes healthy eating combined with fast walking as had hip replacement in july 2016 – before this i trained hard for 2 years doing combination free weight and metafit classes. All this did not help with my bones at 49 and i blame the metafit body weight exercise for my operation. (another story)/

i just dont no what to do Nothing and i mean Nothing has worked for me – im confused ive followed each attempt strictly.

Hi Stephanie, wish I could help you out more, but it would take a very in depth one-on-one to get you sorted out. For just about everyone who wants to lose weight, “nothing” has worked for them either, or they wouldn’t be where they are still struggling to lose weight. So don’t feel bad about that.

Something that helps a lot of people is “letting go” of the idea of weight loss for a while and instead focus on eating and moving your body because it makes you feel good, healthy, and happy. Get engaged with the process instead of trying to strong-arm a result (weight loss).

I have been fighting 10 lb for ten years. I move regularly in the summer I run and ride my bike, I work with a trainer 3x week doing strength training and hiit. I eat very carefully and mindfully although I find eating to 80%full really tough from years of under feeding. I have been eating 1100 calories a day ( not eating back calories) for months and months. If I also drink no alcohol NONE I will lose .4 lb week. But this is a little nuts. I am short – 5.2.5 and over 50 so post menopausal. I am very small boned too, so at 129 lbs. still a little round. This is vanity weight for sure, but I clearly am driven.

Hi Catherine, I think you can be very happy at 5’2 and 129lbs. If you feel like you have fat to lose I would focus more on eating maintenance calories while continuing your strength training. This will enable you to change your body composition at the same weight.

Then once at a higher maintenance calories you can make small reductions to get your weight trending down, if that’s what you want to accomplish.

I am very overweight. I put myself on a 1200 calorie,low carb diet. along South Beach lines. I track everything I eat and the app shows me calories,fat.protein,carbs. I have been losing one pound a week. I have been doing this since Nov and I am beyond frustrated. some months I don’t even make the 4#. what am I doing so wrong?

Hi Clay, not sure of all your details to give you good advice, but I will say that losing 1lb/week consistently since November is great. That’s 50lbs a year.

If you have a lot of weight to lose it’s going to take some time. This is a lifestyle change so we need to focus more on the process and behaviors that get us to our goal instead of trying to directly force a result.

Much of the problem is unrealistic expectations, and I think this stems from a lot of the weight loss success stories you hear. The problem is that these people who lose weight really quickly are an exception to the rule. Most people lose weight at a pace of less than 1lb/week when averaged over time.

So Tony… I assume you’re not a big fan of ‘intermittent fasting’? I’m a post-menopausal 68 yr. old woman in need of dropping 40-50 lbs and a gut that won’t budge. I have been dabbling w all sorts of weight loss diets, from low-carb to high carb as well as counting calories. I experience initial success and then boom… nothing. So I bought in to the intermittent fasting protocol because apparently, there are many people experiencing success w this. Again, I lost 6-7 lbs the first week, and now I’m into week 3 with no weight loss, just hunger. I feel disillusioned w this area of my life. Any suggestions?

I don’t have anything against it if it fits your lifestyle. It’s more of an adherence issue for me. Life situations would always come up and I wasn’t within my eating window. So I’d eat and feel like I was failing.

If you can be flexible with it and not think of things in black/white then I think you can have success with it.

I have had a problem with a tool (I don’t want to say which one) where it gives me a goal of 1200 calories for losing a pound a week. What’s funny is my friend is 140 and it gives her the same goal. It doesn’t compute for me. Ultimately, I think listening to your body and eating well is the key (like in the Get Fit for Life Program.) At least for long term loss that will stick.

Yeah calculators are just a starting point guide, and in a perfect world I would have people starting at maintenance calories and then slowly reducing food intake until they hit the threshold where their weight trended down. But our world isn’t perfect and most people expect to lose weight the very first day.

Get Fit For Life is the ultimate end goal. I think most people would do well in it. 🙂

I am small boned (5’3″), normally 8st 12lb and over 2 years I’ve gone up to 9st 6lb. I now work out 6x per week – 15 mins cardio and 15 mins HITS, eat 1300 calories per day and have been doing this for 5 weeks. I’ve cut out alcohol and eat only whole foods (I don’t eat meat but I do eat fish). I’m post menopausal and in the 1st week of this new regime, I lost 2lb. Since then I’ve lost nothing. I’m trying to keep my motivation up but it’s very hard when you don’t see results. I am carrying a spare tyre around my waist that will not go! (overall fat % is 34%) What do you suggest?

Hi Christine, take a bigger progress picture view. When you put all your progress “stock” in the number on the scale you’re just going to get frustrated.

Not all progress markers improve each week. So also look at tape measurements, progress pics, weight, confidence, strength, body image, energy, health, and happiness. If those are all improving over time you’re on the right track.

Hi Tony! I’ve lost 50 lbs over the last couple of years and cannot lose the last 10. I’m 58 so I know it’s difficult at my age. I own a Fitbit and walk/jog 40,000 steps a day basically everyday. My left arm is injured so lifting weights is not possible. I count calories and eat 1500 to 1700 a day. It shows I burn 3,500 to 4,000 a day on my Fitbit. Should I cut calories back or increase a bit? So confused. Thanks!!

Wow, 40k steps/day. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a number that high. You’re definitely very active so it’s hard to say if 1500 calories would be enough, but if you’ve already lost 50lbs then you just need to keep doing more of what got you there by making small adjustments to either activity (which is high enough), or food intake (reduction).

If you feel like you’re not eating enough as it is and you’re hungry most of the time then I would consider dropping back on exercise for a couple of weeks and upping calories to maintenance levels as a sort of “reset”. Then drop back down into your deficit. I use this with clients to get over sticking point. Refeeds are another option.

Hi. I am eating about 1200 to 1275 calories a day. I eat pretty much clean most of the time and I been trying for 1 year to lose 5 pounds, it seems that I hit a plateau cause I don’t lose the weight. I’m 5’0, 45 years old and weight 116. Should I be eating on a 40/40/30? Or less carbs. What are my doing wrong? Thank you

Hi Lissie, I think you’re going to struggle losing anymore weight being that you’re 116lbs. It’s going to take very few calories to get that moving down any more.

I would focus more on body composition changes while staying at your current weight. Eat close to maintenance calories and focus on strength training and you’ll be able to drop fat and gain some muscle.

Hello all: I am a 47yr. old male, 5’8″ 225lbs. I was 233 a the begining of the year, I didn’t have any sort of nutrition or planed diet before, more often than not I would skip breakfast, some sort of sandwich for lunch and a descent to heavy dinner I knew I needed to make some adjustments. So at the beginning of the year I decided to change things, Breakfast every day Oatmeal, banana, blueberries, coffee 355 Cal. Lunch 3 to 4 oz of lean protein (meat, chicken, fish) and veggies about 450-500 Cal. and dinner clean food to for a grand total between 1600 to 1900 cals for an average day during the work week my Cals on the weekend about 2000 to 2500 clean food. I also have been exercising regularly 30 min cardio 30min weights 5 days a week. That worked for the first 8 to 10 weeks dropped to 223Lbs. Great… Then I decide to hang out, a few week ago, went out friday, Sat, and sun. drank ate had fun nothing ridiculous as far as my diet but I did not hold back, wings, appetizers, slice of pizza, liquor, liquor, etc. Monday I was at 227…. I figured get back on the train and pull it all back, so got on the same routine since I did now 2 weeks later 225, what gives. Very frustrating.

Hi Vinny, remember that weight isn’t just fat, it’s water too (among other things). You’re still 8lbs lighter than when you started, so keep doing what was working, and most importantly, be patient. Weight loss won’t happen every week. But over time it should be trending down.

I was under eating (probably 1200 or under) for a long time. I am very active..I workout with a trainer 3x/week (weights & boxing) & also do home workouts (BeachBody programs) 6 days a week. I have increased my calories to 1500/ day along with eating back what I’ve burned during workouts & im slowly gaining weight & getting “fluffy”. Does my body need more time to adjust getting what it’s supposed to get?? I eat 90% clean & drink 1 gallon of water/day. I am 44 & very frustrated…especially when I’m putting all that hard work into my workouts. Please help!!

Hi Sm, you’re likely eating too much if you’re getting “fluffier” week to week over the course of a month.

I personally don’t like eating back calories. There’s a good chance that since you’ve done you’re suddenly eating over 500 calories extra per day as compared to what you were doing for a large part of your life.

If it were me I would just eat at 1500 calories for a while and assess the feedback.

I am 60 and had a gastric by pass and lost 140lbs but I met the love of my life who is s chief and gained back 50 lbs .eating around 1200 to 1400 calories a day I started walking a mile every day it’s very hard for me because I walk all day at work and I have no cartage in my knees got on the scale gained 3 lbs hel]ppppp

Hi Susan, with limited information my first recommendation would be to go back to what helped you lose 140lbs and don’t concern yourself with the scale while you’re getting that started again. Focus on consistency and getting engaged with the process so you can stay motivated long enough to see results.

I am very overweight and have to take steroids for a medical condition. I am not very mobile because of my medical conditions and I restrict my calorie intake to between 1500-1700 cals a day but cannot loose weight. Could you help please.

So I am eating under 1200 cal and I’m gaining weight. I was eating 800-1000. I know I should be eating more but how do I increase calories without the scale going up? Or is it just going to go up to “fix” my metabolism then worry about it from there?

Any time you increase calories you bring along the potential for weight gain, especially when you’ve been drastically undereating. This is natural and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve gained fat. If you’ve been eating at 1200 for more than a month AND your weight is still increasing on a week to week basis then something else is off and you’ll need to look closer at your energy balance.

Hi tony – it sounds like many people struggle with this. I, too, was undereating for a long time (less than 1200 a day for over a year) and working out tons (some days hard and some days just walking 30 thousand steps). For a long time I lost weight and got myself to 120 pounds, and then over the course of the last year I steadily gained 30 pounds so I’m now 155 and climbing, at 5″7. I understand logically that I need to eat more and do more effective workouts as I put my body into a bad place. But even in adding more calories back (eating at 1500 now and have balanced my macros so I actually have some fat intake). The scale and inches increase literally every week.
I’ve read Your responses and you’ve said various things to different posters on this topic but they a boil down to give it time or add slightly more or less calories.
Perhaps you could create another post answering this question for those of us who still struggle. How long could this process take? What can we do to help “reset” our bodies if such a thing exists? How should we be assessing and how long do we know if the changes we’ve made are moving us in a positive direction (and what to do then?) Is it ok to tackle adding calories in and scaling back workouts at the same time, or should we be trying one at a time?
Thank you.

Hi Chelsea, I think one of the biggest issues with over/undereating is when you become depending on calorie tracking to determine how much to eat. Our bodies do a great job of self-regulating how much to eat if you let it.

1200 calories might very well be necessary for you. The question is whether you’re starving on those 1200 calories or if your completely stuffed on it (that goes for any calories intake). We don’t want to artificially suppress our food intake.

My advice would be to track calories for a couple of weeks while eating all your meals slowly, mindfully, and to 80% full. See what you end up eating based on what your body tells you. It might be higher or it might be lower than you think. But once you have that intake figured out you can adjust accordingly to manipulate your body weight.

I am 5″4, around 98 lbs, I work out 3-4 days a week (mainly weight training), I have a low BMR (1176), how can I increase my calories intake while losing weight? Eating so little everyday is kinda sad…

Hi Em, I really can’t help you lose weight as you’re under 100lbs. My advice would be to really start reflecting on your mindset and body image, as I think that is what’s holding you back (not from losing weight, but from being happy with who you are).

Hi buddy, do you mind if I share this information on my Facebook.? As a PT, I was explaining this very thing last night to a client…. and I feel this would be of great benefit to the masses who do drastic thingso all in the name of weight/fat loss.

Hi coach!
I’m super confused at the moment, and i coulis really use some good advice, to get some peace of mind.
I’m an 18 year old girl, 5’7 and weighing 145 pounds. I struggled with anorexia between the age of 14 and 16 and in those two years i had to gain about 20-25 punds, to be at a Health weight.
I ended up gaining around 50 pounds, and i really dont feel feel good at this weight. I would like to lose 20 pounds, so i’ll be at 125 pounds.
I’m working out 6 days a week at around 45-60 minutes each time (body weigh excercise and hiit- i Trier lifting weights, but it wasnt really for me, i didnt know what to do and Got bores) and my TDEE should be around 2300 calories.
I eat 1600 calories monday-friday, and i eat 2300 calories saturday and sunday, to have a 500 calorie deficit in average.
I have NOT lost weight for a month or two, rather i have gained some pounds.
I dont know what to do anymore… any helpfull advice? It would be greatly appriciated.

Hi Helene, when people have struggled with eating disorders I tend to take a non calorie counting approach. I find that focusing on the minutia of calories can lead to a resurfacing of emotions that caused the disorder in the first place.

I would also work more on consistency day to day in your food intake and not worry about the 2300 calorie high days on the weekends. Doing that will lower your food intake and could possible help with your weight loss.

Yes, I would work on consistency first. High and low days are usually used in more advanced strategies or when lifestyles “require” it. Whether you count calories or not I would still recommend you eat slowly, mindfully, and to 80% full. If you do that and stop when you’re supposed to, you won’t eat thousands of calories. It takes practice but you have to learn to start trusting yourself around food again. Good luck!

I am 44 and weight 160 and want to lose 10-15 pounds. I have tried every single diet out there low carb lost 12 pounds, low calorie 1300 lost 3 gained 2 and tried weight watchers but starve because I’m not a fruit eater and I already eat lots of veggies. I try to do SPIN class 3 times a week but have been slacking due to cold weather. I have a spin bike at home I use but it’s not the same type as in class. I will continue my 3 times a week but how many calories do I eat to lose?

Hi Becky, the diets aren’t working for you, so I would recommend a different approach. Work on adherence and consistency with your eating and exercise. Choose exercise because you enjoy it, not because it gives you a weight loss effect.

Eat slowly, mindfully, and stop at 80% full. Get very consistent with that. Most people will lose weight once they do that with the majority of their meals. And if not, it makes it really easy to adjust your food intake once that habit is in place.

I found this article to be very interesting as I have recently been researching reverse dieting. After restricting calories I am down to 800-1000 calories and maintain a weight of 44kg with light exercise.
Yet my TDEE is 1577-1735. My goal is to increase calories and build some muscle tone…is the idea to increase to your TDEE at once and then slowly increase from there?
I am a dancer, so I must maintain a lean physique but do understand that I may/should possibly gain a bit of weight.My GW is in between 45-49kg.
Thank you for your help.

Hi LCB, if you’re maintaining your weight, then your TDEE is equal to your calorie intake. There’s no way around that. TDEE can be changed, and reverse dieting is a way to do that. I would personally start with an extra 200 calories for a few weeks to see how that works out for you. After that you can go in 50-100 calorie jumps to give your metabolism a chance to adapt.

Okay. That makes more sense, I definitely want to raise my TDEE. Do you recommend adding the 200 to 1000 (total of 1200) or adding it to the 800 (making it 1000)? Also, weighing yourself aside, how do you know if I am eating the proper amount/making progress? Should I listen to hunger signals? Thanks!

The 200 doesn’t need to be exact. It just represents a certain amount of food to increase by, on average. Don’t think of your calorie intake as black/white. Just consciously a little more.

During reverse dieting it can be useful to break out the scale and calorie counting tools. But tape measurements, progress pics, and paying attention to how your clothes are fitting are also ways to monitor external changes.

Hello. All this information is great. But I am still a little confused. I have been on Nutrisystem and am currently on Jenny. Both seem to work the same way. I am about 180lb and looking to get to 130 or 140. They both put me on a 1200 calorie day with food. But where I get lost is the amount of exercise I need to do per week with this intake. I was told that I need to do enough exercise to burn the 1200 I eat plus 500-700 more calories to loose weight. I have been doing 1 hour of a treadmill 5 days a week. I guess where I am confused is what is the target calorie burn you need based on the calorie intake?

Hi Camie, there isn’t a definitive answer on this. Those two programs you mentioned are notorious for their 1200 calorie diets. In my opinion they cause more harm than good, although some lives have definitely been changed from them.

You don’t need to burn 1200 calories with exercise. Keep in mind that you burn calories all throughout the day whether you’re moving or sleeping. Exercise is one very small part of your energy expenditure.

The goal is to get in a modest energy deficit. The only way to do that is to eat at a level and be consistent with exercise while you monitor your body’s feedback. You take that feedback and adjust your energy balance.

Hi Coach,
I just found your page and it’s giving me hope. I’m about 250 pounds and have been on my fitness journey for 2 months. I lost about 9 pounds, but once I added in exercise (5+ days a week, about 12000 steps a day), my weight went UP. My calorie intake is set around 1300, which is what MFP gave me and my dietitian and endocrinologist told me was right (I’m insulin resistant and have hypothyroid but both are in good control now with meds).

I’m scared to increase my calories because I worked SO HARD to get down even 9 pounds, I don’t want to backslide. I’m in my forties. I don’t know what to do. There’s so much conflicting info about calories. 🙁

Hi Gina, I would just continue doing the things that helped you lose 9lbs. The weight gain when you started exercising is very common and is simply energy stores within the muscle increasing (muscle glycogen). This isn’t fat. It’s mostly water and is good weight.

So I’d continue on with what’s working and see if it starts trending down again.

Hey Coach,
I’m a 47 yr old female who’s been eating between 1000 -1300 calories and day and going to a hip-hop class for 90 minutes a day 4 days a week and I’ve been gaining instead of losing. I’m I doing something wrong? This is very discouraging. I’ve been doing this for over 2 months now.

Hard to say, Lisa. I wouldn’t say wrong, but if you’ve consistently gained weight for 2 straight months and you’ve been consistently hitting that calorie range, then there is definitely something off somewhere. There just isn’t an energy deficit for whatever reason.

Double check your calorie tracking. Make sure you’re consistent day to day. And also make sure the weight gain you’ve experienced wasn’t just all in the first month. That has a different set of circumstances to it.

I could really use your input! I’ve read through other comments and I’m unsure what to apply to me. I am 25 and I weigh 131lbs at 5’1. I had a son in January. For 5 months now o have not lost a single lb. Install maybe I wasn’t working super hard but the past 2 months I do 30min of fasted cardio right when I wake up and I do an hour of HIIT in the evenings. I’ve been eating 1200calories and I’m breastfeeding. I have a wedding in November and a dress fitting in July. I just don’t know of perhaps I’m eating too few calories? 4 months after my first child I was in the best shape of my life. I thought I’d be able to work our and accomplish that again but remaining stagnant for so long is so disheartening I don’t know what to do.

Hi Tony,
I am 153cm tall female, I weigh 48Kg, I have recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and take 25mg. I did not have hypothyroidism last year, its come about recently. I have suffered from Bulimia in the past more than 3 years ago.

Today I am fit and pretty strong i have been lifting weights for 3 years, I workout using heavy weights (x4 weekly) and I also do some cardio in my rest days. I can deadlift 80kg for a few reps. I track my macro-nutrients diligently, I eat daily 100g Protein, 110g carbs and 30g Fat (1100 calories). My diet includes lots of water, veg and fruit, along with lean meats. My fats come from healthy sources like avocados, coconut, nuts and seeds.

My problem is that I cannot seem to eat more than 1100 without gaining fat. Although I am reasonably happy with my physique, I want to see “some” abdominal definition and more muscular legs. I am definitely not below 20% fat body fat range but I am not over 25%.

Do you think my hypothyroidism is due to low long periods of low calorie intake? I have also had a couple of missed periods recently.
If I select high fibre nutritious food then 1100 will leave me reasonably satisfied but there is no margin for even biscuits as a treat. Shall I increase my calories slowly (reverse diet) and accept extra fat and hopefully muscle?

Hi Mariana, there is legitimate hypothyroidism, and then there’s lifestyle “induced” hypothyroidism. The latter happens naturally and isn’t a bad thing (in the eyes of your body).

There is a direct correlation between how much you eat and thyroid levels in most cases.

But none of that really matters. At your current stats you are going to be hard pressed to lose any more weight, as your weight is already so low. What I would advise is to hang out at maintenance calories and push the strength training. Focus less on your weight, regardless of whether it goes up or not, and more on your body composition.

With more food will likely come more weight, but the fat gain should be minimal if any so long as you continue getting stronger and you take the calorie rise slowly. Since you already “diligently track macros”, just bump up your fat by 5g for a couple of weeks and go from there.

I had knee surgery 4 years ago and was told I could never jog again. I really enjoyed running so I got depressed and gained over 30 pounds, to a whopping 192 lbs! I’m a 53-year-old female now trying to lose that, plus some.

For the past 5 weeks, my total weight loss was 11 pounds. Soo frustrating! I track my calories. I eat 1200-1400, depending on how much I burn with exercise. I started lifting 40-60 lb weights with my legs. Doesn’t muscle burn more than fat? Why am I losing so slow? This week, I lost 0.2 lbs and I felt like crying.

I’m divorced and I want to start dating but I turn down every guy who asks me because I’m uncomfortable with my body at 181 lbs., 5’2″ tall. This is the highest I’ve ever weighed! When I was 9 months pregnant, I weighed 172 lbs. How did I get here? These great guys won’t be available if it takes me forever to get myself together. Your advice is so helpful. I look forward to your response. Thank you!

Hi Cynthia, 11lbs in 5 weeks is actually really good. I would expect more along the lines of 1lb/week on average over time if everything is going well.

It takes time for the weight to come off. A pound a week for a year is 52lbs. Would you be happy with that? If not, I’d work more on setting realistic expectations.

As for dating, you’ll have to work on your body image. The guys asking you out obviously don’t have a problem with your body – you do, so the solution is to start with your mindset and work on that concurrently with your body. Otherwise you’ll never be satisfied with the way you look.